Stop motion for knitting machines



arch F. CRAWFORD, sR.

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACi'IINES Filed Dec. 6. 1923' 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 1,621,397 F. CRAWFORD, SR

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES March 15, 1927.

Filed Dec. e. 1923 s Sheets-She d. 2'

' Q6 EM 5pm Mi ch 15,1927. I

F. CRAWFORD, s

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 192s 6 Sheets-Sheet; 5

March 15,1927.

' 1,621,397 F. CRAWFORD, s STOP MOTION FOR KNI TTING' MACHINES Fil ed Dec. 6, 1923 6 Sheets-sheaf. 4

[llll IQZQWI 1,621- March 15, 1927. F. CRAWFORD, SR ,397

S'I'OFMOTION FOR-KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. e. 1925 5 Sheds-Sheet s March 15, 1927.

F. CRAWFORD, SR

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

Filed Dec. 6. 1923 Patented Mar. 15, 1 927.

FRANK canwroan, sag, or new BRUNSWICK, new JERSEY, Assrenoe To caawroan nanomcrvnrne coneanr, or nnwea'onswron new messy; moon Poe-Arron on NEW rnRsEY.

's'ror MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES...

Application filed December The main object of my invention is to provide means for holding the trip mechanism positively, while the operator is adjustingthe several stop motion devices and is lacin the thread in osition said means 1 holding the trip mechanismuntil; released by the knitting machine when it is set in motion.

A. further object or the invention is to construct the stop motion so that it will stop theme'chanism of the knitting'mach ine automatically when a thread is broken, or when a thread becomes entangled.

A still further object-of the invention is to connect the upper and lower mechanisms so that'the upper mechanism will actuate the lower mechanism to stop the machine when a thread becomes entangled...

Still; another object of the invention is to provide means for setting the two mechanisms in proper alignment-when the parts are shipped to a mill for assemblage.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation illustrating my improved stop motion mounted on a circular knitting machine, part of the machine being. shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the lower stop motion Fig- 8 is a side view or tion; V

Fig. 3 is a sectional view'on an enlarged scale of a portion of the mechanismshown c Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the lower stop motion with the cap 'plate removed and showing the mechanismbefore tripping and the ring heldin position;

, Fig. 5 is, a detached view showing the ring released; v v Y Fig. dis a sectional view onthe line 6- 6,

the lower stop m0- i Fig; 7 is an enlarged sectional Vl6W Sl 1111- lar to Fig. 4; showing the mechanisin tripped; f

Fig. 7 a is asectional plan view of the look ing mechanism of the lower stop motion, the parts beingln the same 13051131011 as m F1g. 7;

Fig. 7 is a' diagrammatic view showing certain parts in the locked position;

Fig. 8' is a sectional view on the line 8-8, Fig. 4; i W

Fig. 9 is a perspective view, showing the e, 1923. Serial No. 673,966.

coupling and the arm for actuatin g'the trip mechanism in' the lower stop motion by means of the mechanism in theuppersto motion.

Figs. lOand 11 are detached views ofthe means for setting the upper and lower stop mot on in theproper relation to each other; Fig.12 is a plan view of the upper stop motion with the cap removed and the arms broken away Flg. 13 is a sectional 13, Fig. 12;

veiw on the line' l 3 a portion of tion;

Fig. 15,is a view in outline showing the means for actuating the release mechanism by means of the basket carrier orother movable part' of a knitting machine where the bobbins remain stationary; and i the disk of the upper' stop mo- Figs. 16 to 24 inclusive are detached tion. The lower stop motion mechanis'rn'is' enclosed within a casing. 7 ed with a capplate 8. v

H A'ring 9 is locatedwithin the casing: 7. The ring is supported at intervals on arms 10 soas to turn freely in'the easin Secured to the casing are ,holl'owbrackets 11,

through whichpass rods 12. Each rod has. at its inner endan arm 13', which extends, ,into a slot let in the ring 9 and turns the ring when a thread breaks or becomes entangled; Onqthe outer end ofeach of the rods 12 is-an arm 18 located in' a casing20 which is providon the end; of each bracket. Adjustab'ly mounted on anextension 11 of the bracket 11 is a hub 15 having. a bar 15 on which are adjustably mounted the guide eyes -1616 and at'the centre-of theh'u-bis a guide eye 16?. On the hub is a circular stop plate 15*. The hub is frictionall-y held by a nut and spring washer, so that it will remain in position 5 after adjustment.

i v v 65 "Fig. 1a is a detached perspective view" of A short shaft 18 has its bearing in the casing 20. 'On one end of this shaft is an arm' 17 carrying a, ring 19 which is held close. to the stop plate '15 when a thread is in the eyes, but is free to drop when a thread breaks. On the opposite end of the shortshaft 18 is an arm 18 which engages the arm 13 of the shaft 12 when a thread breaks. This shaft imparts movement to the ring 9, which, in turn,-releases the trip mechanism.

The hub can be turned so as to bring the'guide' eyes into alignment with a guide ring and the needles.

'On' the ring 9 is an arm 21 which has a finger 21* projecting infront of the trip lever 22. I This lever hasa short extension 22 which is arranged to engage anarm 23 of a latch 23 (Fig. 19). arm 23 which engages a hooked arm 24 of the trip mechanism 25.

' The hooked arm 2% is pivoted at 24* and Y 'is slotted at 24".

Working in the slot 24 is a pn 70" carried by an arm 70, which is pivoted' at 71. In the arm 70 is a slot '20 into which extends a pin T2 on a cam disk 73. The cam disk 73 actuates a two armed hold backlever 74, on one arm of which is a flange 7 5 which engages a hold back catch 76 which has" a projection 77.

The hold back catch is pivoted at 78 and engages the rib 82 on the underside of the ring 9 when the machine is stopped and is being threaded.

When the arm is in the notch '73 74 of the lever retains the hold back in the engaging position.

A push back lever 79 is pivoted at 80. hasa roller 81. that is held against of the cam disk the arm catch has an extension 36 that engages the projection 77 on thehold back catch 76.' This catch engages a rib 82. on the ring 9 and holds the ring in the locked position to en able the operator to thread the machine without releasing the stop motion. The

V lever 35 has a slotted extension 83. An arm 33 on a head 30 extends into the slot. I The head 30 is mounted on a shaft 28; On turningthe shaft, the arm 33 moves the lever 35 so as to withdraw the hold back catch 7 6 clear of the rib 82. This allows the ring to have free movement. The; arm 28 has, at its outer end, an arm 84c, which is in the path of a wiper 85 on a rod 86 that is adjustably main frame of the knitting machine. The

V head 30 has a flat portion 31' against whi h bears a plunger 32. Back of this plunger is a spring 32*. The head is slotted at 88. EX- tending into the slot is a stop 8 which forms part of the top plate'8. This stop 8 limits the movement of the shaft28.

The ring 9 is held out of action by the The latch has a hooked v 7 4 of the hold'back lever the catch 7 6 until the head of the knitting machine begins to make its first revolution.

When thearin 8% on the shaft 28 comes in contact with the wiper 85 the shaft is turned is connected to the ordinarymechanism (not shown) for shiftingthe belt and stopping the rotation of the knitting machine. 7

Mounted in a bearing 37 on the cap 8, above the trip mechanism, is a shaft 38, that has an arm 39, (Fig. 9) which is moved to trip the lever 22. This shaft is coupled to a rod 40. The coupling 41 is of the universal type. The shaft 38 has arms &2 which enter slots in the head 43 that is secured to the rod 4-0. The upper end of the rod is coupled to a shaft 44 by a universal coupling 45 similar to the coupling 11. The shaft s4 is mounted in a bearing d6 in the casing 5' o the upper stop motion and has a slotted arm 17 at its upper end within the casing.

A disk-i8 is located in the casing- 50f the upper stop motion This disk is mounted on a stem 49' pivotally mounted in an extension 50 of the casing. Depending from the disk is a rod 51, which'extends into theslot in the arm 17 so that, when the disk is turned by the mechanism of the upper stop motion, thismovementtrips the mechanism 25 of e the lower stop mechanism through the rod 40 and the shaft 38. The pivot 49' of the disk is mounted on a set screw 52 and is held in place by an arm 53. A coiled spring 5st 8 surrounds the pivot and'is attached at one end to the disk and at the other end to the projection 50 so that the spring returns the disk to its normal position, after being actuated by one ofthe arms of the stop motion. Pro ecting radially from the casing 5 are The rods have, at their outer ends, spring whenit becomes tangled or caught bythe point of the arm 57 movingout of contact with the respective guard 58. The rods 56' Carried by the arms 55 are no arms 55 under which are located rods 56.

have, at their inner ends, arms 59, which enter slots v60 in the depending flange 61 of the disk 48. Two of the arms 56 are connected by springs 62 to arms 63 on an adjustable member 6 1. An adjusting screw 65 passes through a nut on the adjusting mem her. On returning the screw,'more or less tension can be applied to the two arms. Theoth'er two arms are connected to an upper screw 68, which passes through a nut onthe adjusting member so: that, on turning the screw, the tenslonon the two rods may be regulated. In Flg. '1, a machine is illus- V trated in which the stop motion rotates and the needle cylinder is stationary.

In Fig. is shown a meansfor operating the hold back catch when the mechanism is applied to a machine in which the stop mo- I tionis stationary and the. needle cylinder rotates. v a a v A shaft 28 withdraws the latch 76 through the lever 35. A standard 87*- is' clamped to the frame of the knitting machine, and ex-' tending through this standard is a shaft 90 having at its upper end a slotted arm 91 which engages an arm 92' on a shaft 86.

on which is a wiper 85 arranged to engage the arm' 84 and turn the shaft 28*. On the lower end of the shaft 90 is a short arm 91* carrying a lever 92 which is in the path of the rotating basket frame 93 of the knitting machine. Betw-een this lever 92 and the arm 91 is a spring 94 which cushions the blow when the frame strikes the lever.

In order to set the lower and upper stop mechanisms in proper alignment when the parts are shipped to a mill for assemblage,

a sleeve '95 (Figs. 10 and 11)' is provided which is slot-ted to engage a pin 9.6 on the shaft 38 when raised as in Fig. 11, being held in place by a pin 97 on the bearing engaging a bayonet slot 98in the sleeve 95. When the sleeve is in this position the shaft is in proper position in respect to the tripping mechanism. iVhenthe machine is set up the sleeve is lowered as in Fig. .10, freeing the. shaft "from the control of the sleeve.

The operation is as follows When thread breaks or becomes entangled, the stop motion automatically stops the knitting machine; In order to re-thread' the machine, the l-"lng controlling the stop mechanism is held out of action so that the operator is, free tothread the machine without the; liability of the knitting machines, of upper and lower stop mechanism being released by too much tension being placed on a thread, or allowing tion in the event of a thread being broken,

caught, or entangled. Then a thread breaks, then the lower mechanism is actuated directly. When a thread becomes entangled, or caught, so that undue tension is applied to the thread, the upper mechanism is actuated.

This movement of the upper mechanism is arm sin through the When a thread breaks the ring 19held" by V the broken thread falls, turning the shaft 18, This shaft turns the shaft 12 through arms 18 and 13- (Fig. 3 The arm 13 moves the ring 9 and the arm 21 on the ring moves the trip lever 22 which engages an arm 23 of the latch 23, withdrawing the latch from engagement with the hooked arm 24. f'l-he arm 2% moves the arm 70 on its pivot, releasing the pin 72 ofv the cam 71. mounted onthe shaft 26'which is turned as soonas released by a spring (not shown), and which forms part of the shifting mechanism. I

When the stop motion is set the roller 81 of the hold back lever 79 is resting against a step 73 of the cam disk 73 and holdsthe cam against accidental movementuntihthe pin 72 is releasedflfrom the control of the If a thread becomes entangled then the mechanism of the upper stop motion is act-uated, thearm 59 on the shaft 56- is turned by the tension of the thread. This arm turns The cam is the disk e8 audits rod 51 turns the shafts ing the knitting operation the mechanism is held-out of action positively, but the'instant a thread breaks or undue tension. is placed 'on a thread the mechanism is released ,nn-.

mediately and-the machine is stopped;

I claim I 1. The combination in a stopmo-tion for knitting machines, of means for'holding the stop motion out of action while the machine is being threaded; and means 'actuated by the: movement of the knitting machine when first set. in motion-to release the stopmechanism and allow it to function.

2; The combination in a. stop:- motion for I knitting machines, of a rotatable ring adapted tonormally. move freely and atcertain times to be held in a predetermined set position; trip mechanism actuated by the ring to stop the machine; stop mechanism for actuating the ring; means for retaining the ring in the set position to allow the operator to thread the machine; and means actuated by the knitting machine as it starts to rering mounted in the casing;

' lease the retaining means and to allow'the ring treedom of movement.

L-The combination in a stop motion for knitting machines of a casing; a movable a series of stop mechanisms having arms arranged to engage the ring and to move it when a thread breaks or becomes entangled; a rib on the ring; a

hold back catch engaging the rib of the ring 7, the operator is threading the machine; a shaft having a pin; a hold back lever engaged by the pin; and means on the knitting machine for turning the shaft when the machine is first set in motion so as to actuate the hold back lever and withdraw the hold back catch from engagement with the rib on the ring. I

5. The combination of a casing; stop mechanism; a ring actuated by the stop mecha- 1 nism; release mechanism operated by the ring; an arm on the ring; a latch controlling said release mechanism; a pivoted arm at the release mechanism engaged by the arm on the ring when the ring is moved; and a catch engaging said release latch and actuated by the arm, said catch when actuated 'releasingthe mechanism that stops the ma chine.

v6. The combination in a stop motion for knitting machines, of a lower stop motion having a rotatable rin trip mechanism .released by the movement of the ring and actuating the mechanism for stopping the knitting machine; a series of arms on the lower stop motion having thread guides and trip mechanism held in place by the threads so that, when a thread breaks, the ring is turned and the mechanism is tripped; upper stop motion having a trip mechanism; actuated'when a thread is under eX- ce'ssive tension, a rod extending from the lower stop mechanism; a shaft to which the rod is connected; and an arm on the shaft for actuating thetrip mechanism from the upper stop motion.

to hold the mechanism out'ot action while The combination in a stop motion for knitting machines, of a casing; a ring actuating the ring 'when a thread breaks; trip mechanism released by the ring; a means for resetting the trip mechanism and the ring and ashatt having a head at its outer end; apin onthe head; a lever engaged by the pin a plunger for holding the shatt in its normal running position; and means for actuating the shaft when the machine begins to rotate after the stop motion has been set. p x y 8. The combination in a stop motion of trip mechanism therefor, a pivoted thread guide composed ot a rod having end eyes and a central eye; an arm attached to the trip mechanism and having a ring encircling the central eye, said ring being held inplace by the thread passing throughthe eyes.

9., The combination ina stop motion, a

mounted inth-e casing; stopmechanism for V bracket, a head pivotedto the bracket, friction means for holding the head; a disk on the head; a rod on the head having an eye at each end; an arm for releasingthe stop motion; a ring on the arm arranged to be held in position by the thread passing through the eyes for maintaining the said arm in a normal inoperative position and adapted to move said arm tolan operative position to effect the operation of the stop motion when said ring is released by the thread. V p

.10. The combination in a stop motion for knitting machines, of upper and lower stop mechanism; means at the lower mechanism for stopping the movement of the machine;

' a rod extending from the upper stop motion; 'a shaft having a lever and connected to-said rod; a locking sleeve arranged to be raised and lowered, said sleeve, when raised, engaging the shaft and preventing .it turning so that, when the mechanism is set up, the operating mechanism of the upper stop motion will be locked properly in relation to V the mechanism or the lower stop motion.

FRANK onAwronn-sn. 

